ZKB Patronage Prize

The winners 2015

Award ceremony 2015 with Zurich city mayor Corine Mauch, Abigail Browde of 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Dr. János Blum, presidium member of the Zürcher Kantonalbank, festival directors Delphine Lyner, Sandro Lunin and Veit Kälin, members of the jury and guests.

On the occasion of the Zürcher Theater Spektakel, the ZKB Patronage Prize and the ZKB Acknowledgment Prize were awarded by Zurich city mayor Corine Mauch and Dr. János Blum, presidium member of the Zürcher Kantonalbank. After long, controversial discussions lasting until the small hours the jury has decided: The ZKB Patronage Prize of 30 000 Swiss Francs goes to 600 HIGHWAYMEN from Brooklyn for their production «Employee of the Year». «Will we remember seeing this play when we are 60?» the jury members wonder in their statement picking up a sentence from the show. Their answer: «Probably yes. The image of these five strong young girls will remain with us for a long time.» They were particularly convinced by the «clear artistic decisions, honesty and the ability to captivate the audience».

Jury 2015

An independent jury, consisting of five experts, decides on awarding the prizes. The jury panel is chosen by the festival management and is presided by one of its members. This person is not entitled to vote. The jury consultations are not public; the decision for the awarded production is substantiated. The jury’s decisions are announced on the last Saturday of the festival at the occasion of an award ceremony. The members of the jury 2015 are:

Mohammad Al Attar DAMASCUS
Born 1980. Playwright and dramaturge. After studying English literature and theatre at the university of Damascus he completed his drama degree at the Goldsmith's University of London. Since 2007, he has published eight plays, which have been staged in Damascus, London, New York, Berlin and other big cities. Mohammad Al Attar regularly writes for journals and magazines, particularly about the recent Syrian riots, and is a sought after commentator. Concurrently, he continues working on his theatre projects. Together with Omar Aboussada (jury member 2012) and a group of Syrian refugees, he has recently brought to fruition an internationally respected staging of «Antigone».

Nicoleta Esinencu CHIŞINĂU
Born 1978. Playwright and director. Since finishing her degree in drama and theatre, Nicoleta Esinencu has been playing an active role as author, director and developer of performance projects in Eastern Europe and the Republic of Moldavia. In 2005, her play «FUCK YOU, Eu.ro.Pa!», published in the reader of the Rumanian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, created an international stir. She is the co-founder and manager of Offspace Teatru Spălătorie in Chişinău, founded in 2010. Her plays have been performed throughout Europe. In 2014, «Dear Moldova, can we kiss just a little bit?» was presented at HAU Hebbel am Ufer in Berlin. | www.spalatorie.md 

Daniel Hellmann ZURICH
Born 1985. Singer, performer, dance and theatre maker. He studied philosophy, classical singing as well as theatre and performance in Zurich, Lausanne and Bern. After singing in various opera productions he founded the interdisciplinary company 3art3 in 2012. For his first project «K.», a collaboration with the choreographer Quan Bui Ngoc, he won various prizes. Most recent productions are the musical theatre evening «Nach Lampedusa – Wandererfantasien» on the Swiss asylum system and the interactive performance «Full Service». In June 2015, his solo performance «Traumboy» premièred at the Theaterhaus Gessneralle. Daniel Hellmanns plays have been shown at various theatres and festivals. | www.daniel-hellmann.com 

Myriam Prongué BERNE
Born 1960. She studied Slavic languages, linguistics and history in Berlin, Lublin and Prague. During the 90s she was co-responsible for the cultural exchange programme of Middle and Eastern European countries at the Arts Council Pro Helvetia. From 2003 to 2014 she was co-director of the Schlachthaus Theater in Bern. She is a board member of the Festival Belluard in Fribourg. Since 2014, she has managed theatre funding at the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia. | www.pro-helvetia.ch 

Makiko Yamaguchi TOKYO
Born 1965. After studying law and a short stint in the banking world, she started working in the international cultural sector. At the Goethe Institute in Tokyo and at the Japanese Cultural Institute in Cologne, she was responsible for exchanges between the Japanese theatre and dance scenes and those in German-speaking countries. In 2011, the Arts Council of Japan commissioned her to build an international network of arts and culture. Since May 2015 she has worked at the Asia Center of the Japan Foundation and been responsible for the promotion of collaboration within Asia in the area of performing arts through TPAM (Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama) | www.tpam.or.jp